


Oh Brother

by ahappyphil



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: 2009, M/M, awkward brotherly conversation, outsider pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-20 18:54:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21286535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahappyphil/pseuds/ahappyphil
Summary: Phil comes home from the Halloween gathering, and Martyn has questions
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Comments: 48
Kudos: 228





	Oh Brother

He knew Phil had gone to London for Halloween, and even felt a twinge of pride at his baby brother finally coming out of his shell and interacting with those people who do that internet thing too. Martyn doesn’t fully get it, but he sees how many views he gets and the number of followers steadily increasing.

Most importantly, he seems happy. There are people out there who relish Phil’s weird brain in a way he knows the kids growing up didn’t. He’s making friends. One friend in particular...The one from twitter. The one Phil couldn’t stop talking about after he’d come all the way from Reading to visit a few weeks ago. 

Phil came stumbling in that afternoon, marker still smeared across his face and a dopey grin that’s as equally telling. He didn’t even stay downstairs for family time, just grabbed a snack and hid away in his bedroom as soon as mum took a breath from asking if he was okay. She’d never let him get away with that even now, but Phil’s always been the baby. 

Martyn doesn’t want to let him off that easy though. He’s never seen his brother like this. Some of it is curiosity, at what he and this Dan guy are and what it means for him. 

Part of it is his protective instinct. He knows, probably better than anyone, how Phil tends to give his whole heart to people, and how more often than not, he wounds up getting hurt. He can’t take another phone call where all he can hear on the other side is choked up tears and whispers about how he got his hopes up for someone who didn’t want the same things.

What if this kid just wants something from him? What if he doesn’t appreciate all the things that make his dorky brother special? He’s fallen hard and fast. He can’t even remember the last time he was able to talk to Phil without them being interrupted by a text or a call or one of the other million methods of communication they use daily. It’s honestly worrying how big a part this guy is in his life already. 

He knocks on the bedroom door, Uma Thurman glaring at him judgingly as he waits for an invitation to come in. There’s no answer, so he opens it slowly. “Phil?”

Phil’s lying on his bed, phone in hand, typing out a text on his phone; the doofy grin more apparent than before. He doesn’t have to ask who he’s talking to. 

“Can’t believe you’re missing an opportunity to show off that degree of yours in a game of scrabble for hiding up here alone. What’s so important?” He hopes that sounds casual, and not like a line off some cheesy American sitcom. He plops on the end of the bed and leans against the wall to show he’s not going anywhere.

Phil finally puts his phone down to actually look at him. He can’t take him as seriously with whisker remnants still present on his cheeks. “Sorry, Dan wanted to talk before he had to go help his grandma.” Hm, at least the kid has activities that don’t involved stalking his brother.

“So Dan was at the gathering?” Martyn knows he was. He saw on twitter, he’s just trying a natural segway.

Until he sees the rather large mark on his neck. “Guess that’s where you got that from.” He points to the dark hickey Phil’s now hiding with his hand. 

He’s blushing, but he can’t hide the smirk on his face. “Mar, stop!”

“Is he your boyfriend?”

“I don’t really know” he looks down like he’s still a bit insecure about what it all means, “I hope so.” His face breaks out in a smile like he’s overcome with even the notion of Dan being his. 

He wants to push. He wants to ask why this boy is so different from any other uni hookup. But he doesn’t, he just listens as Phil continues. 

“He’s the best. Like, I can’t even tell you. He’s really smart, like..he just gets things that a lot of people don’t...and he’s funny, and he likes all the same stuff as me and-“

Martyn interrupts by laughing. “Okay, I get it. He’s bloody mister perfect! You want to marry him and have his babies and bring him home for Christmas so mum can stuff him with cakes!”

There’s a pause. 

Oh. _ that _

“Are you planning on telling them anytime soon?”

Phil looks towards the window. He knows this is a difficult subject for him. He knows keeping this secret has been eating him up since he came back home from uni. “I guess I have to at some point right? I kind of hoped they’d just...figure it out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dan’s coming back to visit soon. When they’re home I mean, so I thought I’d just...let them assume. Let them meet him.”

“What? You gonna snog him during dinner and hope they get the picture?”

Phil throws a pillow at his face, missing entirely. He never was the best at sports. 

“No! Shut up! I just want them to get to know him on his own first. He’s really nervous about it. He thinks they won’t like him, but I told him he’ll work his charm and they’ll be just as in lo-...that they’ll like him.”

Maybe this kid is okay. 

“Alright, but I want to meet him too. Gotta make sure he’s cool enough for you, Dibs.”

That makes Phil visibly relax a bit. “Were gonna Skype tonight. You can come in and chat for a few minutes if you want. Let me check with Dan.”

Martyn gets up and heads towards the door. Right before he turns the handle to leave, Phil gets his attention. 

“Mar..”

He hums in acknowledgement. 

“I think he’s like...the one. I just...I hope you like him.”

“I’m sure I will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Reblog [here](https://ahappydnp.tumblr.com/post/188772723426/oh-brother-g-1k-summary-phil-comes-home-from-the%22) :)
> 
> Prompts from the wonderful @yikesola


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